A Second Home
by IWriteToHideThePain
Summary: There's a place where children can go when they no where else to go. There they will be safe and loved, as long as they don't question the screams that come from beyond the walls.
1. A Fated Meeting

**i. A Fated Meeting**

The house had gotten quiet.

The chatter of small talk, the indistinguishable jabber of playing children, the buzz from the T.V had all vanished leaving behind a deafening silence that shrouded the hallways. A silence that sucked away any warmth the house had accumulated and spat out emptiness. It started after my parents talked to a man in a white coat. They talked in adult words for a very long time. When they were done the silence had begun.

And with the silence came the outsiders. Forbidding creatures that draped themselves in nothing but black were suddenly permitted to enter the house after the silence began. They, too, were quiet, floating from room to room without purpose. The creatures wore masks of solemn faces, never once opening their mouths to speak. They polluted our home, leaving puffs of dread and sadness wherever they went. And in time, they managed to turn my parents into one of them. Mom and Dad shared their haunted expressions and sat still on our couch.

I tried to get rid of the strangeness but it only led to the disapproval of all the outsiders.

"Hajime" my mother had said with a broken voice "Just go play in your room...quietly."

 _Silently,_ I corrected her in my mind and gladly climbed upstairs to where the air was breathable. I grabbed my most noiseless toy, a book, and climbed into the bottom half of our bunk bed. I leaned back and cradled into his pillow, flipping through the pages of his book. I only stared down at the ink on the page, not really reading, my attention fixated on the conversing outsiders right below me. Sometime within that week of silence, when the outsiders clogged our home, I had a realization of why they came to visit.

My twin brother, Izuru, was dead.

The concept was foreign to me, death was a word that I knew, but the fact that he no longer existed didn't dawn on me until that week was over. That realization came with confusion. I had known my brother went to the hospital to sleep, but when resting had changed into death was unknown to me. Perhaps someone tried to tell me, but it never reached my ears. I just didn't understand any of it until that week had ended.

It took even longer to comprehend the meaning of loss. That I could never see him again. That I could never play with him or touch his skin or tell him stories or feel the warmth of his breath. That 'never' came with a pain that I had never felt before. Sadness ached in my chest, feeling like physical pain. It was sharp like someone had dug a knife into my ribcage and was slowly turning it everyday.

The knowledge of my brother's passing seemed to break a spell. The silence had broken to make room for small whispers in a language only spoken by the outsiders. But I was able to understand bits and pieces.

"It's a shame God took the talented twin."

With those words, the person with the knife pushed the blade in further.

"All that potential just gone in a blink of an eye."

And further..

"All they have left is the other twin, I feel bad for them."

And further...

"Hajime will never be as amazing as Izuru."

Now that someone was at the end of the blade and began to push the handle inside me. It seemed to trigger something within me and I turned into an outsider as well. I spent my days sitting like a stone on his bed in complete silence. My parents stopped looking at me, whenever we stumbled upon the same room they'd stare at a point far away, not acknowledging me at all. We stopped having family meals together. The creatures were the ones that feed me whenever I was willing to eat. But as their visits dwindled, my cooked meals dwindled too.

After a month I couldn't take it anymore. The outsiders had finally stopped coming, but their essence had remained. The house remained dreary, the lights were never turned on and no one moved or talked. My parents hardly left their room, their ghostly figures only appeared to grab a glass of water from the kitchen. Within that month my dad only looked at me one time and his eyes were full of rage. My parents didn't say anything but I knew they were thinking about the outsiders comments. How I'd never replace Izuru.

So I ran.

I didn't know what else to do. The urge to leave burned in my chest, I couldn't ignore it. So I ran. Out into the streets and far from all the places I knew. I spent a whole day just walking aimlessly, not aware of time or distance. I ended up sleeping in a public bathroom. I guess it was good my brother died in the summer. I awoke with an empty stomach. It was strange to have an appetite again, after eating nothing but dry cereal for so long.

I remembered watching a movie in which the characters ate out of the garbage once they ran out of money. Mimicking them, I climbing into the back alley of a café. I don't know what I was expecting but all I found was wrappings and rotting food. While I was psyching myself up to eat trash, I heard clicking of heels on pavement. A twinge of fear ran through me. An outsider had found me! I turned to face the black creature and shoo it away.

But it wasn't an outsider, it was a girl. A girl who wore a multitude of clothes and let her wild hair flow down in two pink ponytails. Her lips drew back in a comically large smile. The girl's eyes shone bright as she looked directly at me, each step she took had purpose, a destination in mind. She was the epiphany of everything I didn't have over the past month.

"Hello~ little one" she said in a cheerful voice "Are you here all alone?"

I nodded, clutching my own body.

"Do you have a home to return to?"

I thought for a moment on that. It seemed like a simple question, but the implications of it were something I truly had to ponder. Did I really have a home to return to? I shook my head.

"Don't worry sweetie" she cooed, draping a hand through my brown locks "I know a place where you can go. A place where no one can ever hurt you again."

With that she held out a hand and I graciously took it, not realizing that this women would lead me to a home far worse than the original.


	2. Junko is a Motherly Kidnapper

**ii. Junko is a Motherly Kidnapper**

My seat vibrated as the beat-up truck trembled along the road. The rural road we traveled on was dark, coated by the shadows of tall brick building. Along the way, I watched as cotton candy like hair bobbed in the wind. My attention was only stolen by a sandwich cradled snuggly in tin foil. Every now and again, I'd crinkle it's wrapping and take a small nibble.

After about an hour of silence between us the lady spoke up. "So what's got you running away from home?" she asked.

I didn't answer. I hadn't spoken in so long I was afraid my voice no longer worked.

"Aw c'mon man, you can tell me anything! Trust me I heard it all" she takes one hand off the wheel and uses it to poke at my cheek.

"What happened?" she cooed in a sing song voice "Did your mom call you worthless? Did your dad beat you? Did your classmates tie your legs together and hang you by the flagpole?"

I shook my head, shocked that horrible descriptions were being told to me in such a cheerful voice.

She turned from the road to looked me, her blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. "Then what?" she asked.

"My brother died" I whispered. It was the first time I said it out loud and somehow it made it feel more real. The pain felt fresh once again.

"Oh" she sighed and turned her attention back to the road "That's it? The other kids had it way worse than you."

"Other kids?" I asked.

"Oh yeah did I forget to tell you? I hope you didn't think you were the only. Nope my attention has to be shared." She perked up "But don't worry, you'll get along with them. The others kids went through the same thing as you. Now we're one big happy family."

In confusion, I stayed quiet. I thought it was just going to be me and her. Suddenly this arrangement wasn't didn't seem so pleasurable. She then smacked me on my shoulder "Isn't this great! You'll have so many new brothers and sisters you'll forgot about the dead one."

I felt my heart stop for a moment. Replacing Izuru was not what I had wanted. Shifting uncomfortably in my chair, I turned my head away from my bubbly rescuer and stared out my window,wondering if I had made a huge mistake.

When we arrived at our destination, the majority of my sandwich remained. The small nibbles I had takens rested uneasily on the bottom of my stomach and threatened to come back up. It was strange to think that this morning I had been starving.

The house we arrived at was in a rural part of town. Which town was unknown to me. The two of us passed many unfamiliar places in our many houred drive. The house we stopped at was surrounded by a small metal fence that had greenery envolubling it. The front gate hung lopsided, gasping onto its remaining hinge. Inside the gate was a weed infested garden and a small stone path leading up the front steps to the house.

I shuffled out of the car, practically glued to the car door. I didn't want to move any closer to the house. The woman, however, skipped along the little path in her black heels, not seeming to notice my hesitance. I tried to grab her, to keep her next to me instead of in the garden, but my balled up hand missed her fluttering skirt.

She walked up to the door and swung in open, calling a "Hello I'm home!"

Reacting to her voice, the sound of pattering feet came. I craned my neck so I could see what was happening behind the women. There I saw a little girl, her eyes draped doey tears that cascaded down her cheeks.

"Junko" she sniffled "You're home"

"That I am" The women who brought me here, Junko I supposed, replied. She leaned down and wrapped her arms around her tiny frame. "Sorry I had to leave you alone for so long" she apologized then she tighten her hug. "Squeezes for Mikan" Junko joked.

When their reunion broke up, the little girl let her eyes wondered to out beyond the garden. Her gaze struck upon me, a stranger standing by a truck.

"Ek" the little girl squeaked out and held a shaking finger pointed at me. Junko turned to find the source of the girl's distressed.

"Don't be scared Mikan" Junko planted a hand on the girl's head "That's just a new kid I found. He wouldn't hurt you, with me around no one will hurt you."

The girl nodded but still had wide, terrified eyes fixed on me. Junko ran her hand through the girl's hair before turning her attention back on me.

"What are you still doing there?" she called "Come on inside, there's so many kids that want to meet you."

I stared at her wondering if that was true. If the little girl was any indication, the others won't enjoy my presence. And there was another thing, too, the garden was sending scary vibes. I felt like if I took a single step forward the vines would shoot up from the ground and entangle my body. They'd hold me down, restricting my ever movement, and until the day I'd died I'd be stuck in the garden.

I wasn't sure why I thought such a thing. I knew it wasn't true but the explosions in my tummy were enough to keep me away.

"C'mon" the lady fussed "What are you afraid of?"

I wondered what the answer to that question was. Maybe it was the ominous aura around the haunted garden, the unfamiliar multitude of children, or maybe I was afraid of replacing my family. Replace. That word stuck out in my brain. Would it really be okay to replace a woman who's lost all color from her face or a man whose eyes remain burned open? And would I feel happy if I replaced a well-kept bed with a human being?

With a heavy sigh, I took a onto the stony path and made my way towards the lonesome home.


	3. Sweet Dreams Hajime

My weather worn sneakers bounced off the dark wooden floor. The thumps bounced off the home's brightly red walls and echoed throughout the narrow hallways. The floors and countertops, I noticed, were polished to shine. Junko didn't say anything. She just lead me to a small but cozy room.

There was several kids plopped on a rather large couch. They were all slouched, eyes glued to a brightly colored screen. Junko walked over and turned off the television as soon as I entered the room.

"Hey get everyone else, we have a new member I'd like everyone to meet" she announced.

"Really!? We do!?" a very energetic girl leap up from her position from the couch "It's not that scrawny little kid is it?"

Feeling self conscious, I shuffled my feet until I was behind Junko. A devilish smile appeared on her face as she watched me hide myself from the other children.

"Yes it's a boy!" a half little boy half shark jumped up "He's going to be my best friend."

Another little boy crawled out from under the couch. Why he was under there was beyond me, but I didn't have time to ponder the thought after I saw what he was wearing. It was an outsider's black coat. I didn't know there could be little ones. I also didn't know they were in this house.

I backed away, a feeling of dread washing over my entire body.

"I thought you made me your best friend" the baby outsider grumbled.

"Not anymore" the shark boy replied "You're, like, really weird dude. I need a new best friend."

"How dare you betray me! I put a curse of a thousand needles onto you!" he screamed back at him.

Curse! I didn't know outsiders could cast spells. So many horrible things I have learned today! I dashed out of the room.

Not sure where I intended to go. It wasn't like I had the courage to go back in the garden. But the sight of the outsider had triggered an urge inside me to run. So when I reached the front door, I switch direction, sprinting into a the kitchen.

I was running blindly, when suddenly the solid objects around me splurged into large streaks of color. Like someone poured water on an oil painting. When the world turns back to normal all I can see is the very polished, very clean wooden floor.

"Hey watch where you're going" I heard someone hiss.

I felt my chest squeeze. I felt like I was in a nightmare where I couldn't move no matter how hard I tried.

"Oh you guys, he hasn't even been here for ten minutes and you've already scared the stuffing out of him" I felt someone support me from underneath my armpits. They lifted off the floor and back onto my feet "But I have to admit the face you're making is adorable."

Seeing who it was, I gripped onto the only safe person in the house, burying my face into her chest. Footsteps approached us behind and I knew all the children had gathered around us. I could feel their stares on my back.

"Looks like everyone is here" Junko commented. She let her long nails caress my back. "Everyone this is our newest member...um I actually never caught your name."

"Hajime" it came out muted by Junko's shirt.

"Oh geez I forgot you like to mumble. Anyway, this is Hajime guys"

I heard the chorus of a welcoming come from behind. I dared to leave the security of Junko's embrace and looked at my observers. Children of every size and color had their curious eyes fixated on me. They talked in a jumbled mess, some trying to talk to, some trying to talk to the person beside them. All of them not realizing that they couldn't be heard as a result. In that moment I realized that the cluster around me was indeed children.

Not shark people or outsiders or any kind of monsters. They were just kids. I felt silly for having run away in the first place. But there was anything I noticed, their eyes. Their sullen gazes lacked the enthusiasm or sparkle that most children had. Looking in their eyes was like looking into a mirror. Junko had said her friends were like me and I finally believed her.

Feeling as I did truly belong to the group, I stepped away from my fabric hiding spot.

"Are you a scaredy cat just like Mikan?" a very short girl asked with a bratty tone.

"I-I'm not a scaredy cat" I recognized the girl from earlier.

"I'm sorry" a hoarse voice came out of my own throat "I won't be scared anymore."

"You're too quiet Hajime" a loud voice boomed "You have to project your voice. Never be ashamed of your voice!"

"Geez you're loud, maybe you should be ashamed" the girl who called me scrawny complained.

There was so many kids. Enough to fill an entire classroom. Listen to all of them chatter at once was making my head hurt. It never got this loud at my old house.

"You okay Hajime?" Junko squeezed my shoulder "You not looking so great right."

Before I could reply she continued "I bet you're tired from such an adventurous day! Who wants to show Hajime to the boys' room?"

"Me" several of the boys called out. The boy with the loud voice grabbed me by the sleeve and started to drag me upstairs. The other boys followed behind intently.

"Don't worry Hajime there's no bedtime here" the shark boy proclaimed, his chest beaming with pride "We stay up all night and have the coolest sleepovers."

I could only nod in response. I was becoming uncomfortably aware that I was being dragged further and further away from Junko. But I had just said I wouldn't get scared anymore, so I followed along without complaint.

When we got to a door, one of the boys swung it open and revealed a bedroom.

Looking inside what would be my new room I was filled with disappointment in seeing how cramped it was. The room itself was very spacious but it was packed with beds. They lined the walls on either side, all singles with no bunkbeds.

As a result there wasn't much room to move around. It wasn't like my old room, where the sleeping space was small but the playing space was big enough for our train set and our board games. It looked like I'd have to give those up.

Not like I had anyone to play with anymore.

"Oh yeah, I forgot" the shark boy said "The only bed left is the one next to…"

"That weird kid" someone else finished for him.

That had my brain buzzing with worry. If there was a kid that _these_ kids found weird, there must be something wrong with him. I decided that if he was dangerous, Junko would protect me.

"Anyway Hajime, here's where you sleep" I was directed to a bed right beside the corner bed. Judging by the boys' worried glancing at the bed tucked into the corner, I assumed that that was the weird kid's bed.

"So Hajime" someone nudged my shoulder "Are you really going to sleep? Or did you want to play some cool video games with us!"

My response was to ignore him and crawl under the covers. Almost immediately I drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 **TheRoseShadow21: Thank you I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hoped I made all the kiddos cute enough lol.**

 **DreadAngelus: Most of the class is here. I decided to leave out Chiaki and Mitarari, but everyone else is with Junko (the best place for a child). As for mind screws, well hopefully you'll like what I have planned.**


End file.
